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Covebreaker Fjord
"When Grimjarl's horns bellow and wail, and the glacier that roams does roam no more, And the winds pick up in a singing gale, the curse is rife, forever and evermore" - An extract from a common Beyond Ballad, Curse's Herald Covebreaker Fjord. Streife Rundt Fjord. The Roam Around Glacier. All are different names for the same place. Told simply, Covebreaker Fjord is a nomadic glacier full of undead that travels through the oceans of the Beyond, attacking and pillaging anything its inhabitants come across. Usually it roams around the southern parts of the world, but during the dead of Winter it travels further north to pillage and destroy whatever settlements it can find across the coast. The undead warriors within are called the Einherjar, though people aren't sure where the name came from as the raiders don't exactly talk to the living. Description "The crashing the cracking the crashing the cracking the crashing the cracking the crashing the cracking it's TOO LOUD" - Words of Mangy Zoe, sane sailor turned mad doomsayer. Covebreaker Fjord is one of the bigger factors preventing extended sea trade - a mountain of ice fragments, destroyed ships, and the corpses of giants with a beaten metal tower topping it like a tyrant's crown. The sight alone is enough to drive men mad, and the sound of it does the rest of the work. Massive walls of ice grinding against itself, ruined ships, and countless treasures creates a cacophony of noise that can be heard for miles, it is impossible to describe the anguish this noise induces in those who hear it, and some theorize that sound is simply another tactic utilized by the Einherjar within. Great chains string taut into the sea, connected to the fabled undead beasts that tug and pull the glacier across chilled waves, and snapping at the living when their boats sail too close. Stolen Treasures Immediately after people fearfully whisper of its dreaded dangers, they speak of the countless treasures and magical items to be found in its depths. The wealth of countless towns, the weapons of many heroes, all that and more are rumored to be hidden away, ever tempting an overconfident band of Awakened. Government The leader of the Einherjar hasn't been seen in recorded memory, but the legend of him has been spread regardless - a warrior with a blade cast from night and eyes hewn from ice. He is addressed as the Grimjarl, he who blows that nightmarish horn and unleash the raids. They say he sits in that tall black tower, awaiting the day a worthy warrior comes to face him. The Grimjarl has enforcers of his will that are much more commonly seen. Ancient champions called the Retta who lead raids and ensure the spoils are returned. Names such as Bonebeard, Olaf the Black, and Yarl Hoghead all echo across the seas as bywords for devastation. Geography The Covebreaker Fjord sails the seas like a ship, but it is so large that it has its own internal ecosystem of magical beasts occasionally being killed or tamed by the inhabitants, and whole floors of thralls enslaved to maintain weapons and armor. From the outside, because no one who has gone in has ever escaped to really explain the inner workings of this abominable fortress, a large wooden dry-docks can be seen, where dozens of ancient, barely maintained looking longships are suspended above the water. From the various wrecks sticking out of the glacier from multiple points across its length, flashes of a horrid arcane blue light can be spotted, hints of dread shamans and necromancers working disgusting magics for some unseen purpose. With a telescope one can watch the iron tower, though doing so too long inevitably drives the viewer mad. What they make out is baffling - frosted over rib-cages larger than a house, an abandoned throne of stone and ice among the remains of ancient structures. When trying to gleam truth from the Covebreaker Fjord, one finds more questions than answers. History The legends have survived for hundreds of years, even in the hot desert mainland stories of towering skeletons roaming the seas and laying waste to the coasts thrive in pubs dingy and opulent. For those living along the seas, the stories are less amusement and more cautionary tales of horror to ensure a healthy fear of the sea. Inhabitants Covebreaker Fjord is the home of the most feared pirates across the Beyond's oceans - the Einherjar. These undead warriors are from an age long, long since past and use weapons and armor of ancient design still in usable condition. Hundreds of other creatures and animals have been slain and raised within its corridors - bands of doomed warriors trying to save captured loved ones, parties of adventurers attempting to recover great treasures, and magical beasts fighting a perceived invader. The legends say all and more can be found within its frozen halls. Places of Note The Dry-Docks A large installation that circles the base of the iceberg like a ring, forming an informal barrier between the above-water portions of the iceberg and the underwater portions. There are usually around a dozen longboats spotted here, with thralls making repairs. It's here that the successful rescue missions happen. Giantsridge Across the icy plateau that glazes the peak of the glacier flat lay bones of startling immensity. Only hearsay suggests their purpose, as no one has been foolish enough to attempt an investigation. Special Notes Covebreaker Fjord, as you might've guessed if you've read this far in, moves. On the map there is a blue circle which represents the area it is roaming, and in Winter it can be moved to any ocean tile on the map that it can reach from the central sea.